Monday May 21, 2012
Home Ownership
Looking for an affordable opportunity to buy a simple, decent home?
Habitat for Humanity is a Christian housing ministry financed through private donations and utilizing volunteer labor. Our purpose is to build homes with families and sell the houses at no profit and no interest to families who could not otherwise afford a home.
PLEASE NOTE: Habitat is not an "emergency" housing agency. Typically, it takes anywhere from 12 to 24 months between the time that someone applies, is selected, and their Habitat house is built.
Family Selection Criteria
The following are general guidelines for the West Plains Area Habitat for Humanity, Inc. and reflect the directions of Habitat for Humanity on a national level. The selection of families who will purchase homes from West Plains Area Habitat for Humanity will be done by the Family Selection Committee using these criteria in a way that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, family status, marital status or national origin.
- To qualify you must have housing need. For example: no indoor plumbing, poor heating, leaks in the roof, overcrowding (three to a bedroom), unsafe or unsanitary conditions.
- You need to have lived in our service area for over a year.
- You need to have a minimum steady income.
- Your total family income must fall within our income guidelines set by HUD.
- With your permission, we will verify employment and other income, verify checking and savings account balances, get a statement from your current and previous landlords, have a credit check, and ask you for credit and personal references.
- If you are approved for a Habitat home, we ask that you be willing to join in programs to learn and practice budgeting, home repair, and maintenance. We ask that you attend meetings for our Habitat families.
- If approved for a Habitat home, we require that all adult (18 years and older) members in your household be willing to work 300 hours of sweat equity, wih 50 of those hours logged before construction can begin on your home.
- If approved for a Habitat home, $500 will be needed for a down payment and closing costs. You will have some time to save this money before closing if your family is selected. Of this amount, $100 is requird prior to construction beginning on your home.
- If you are approved for a home and if you meet the sweat-equity and down payment requirements, then we will sell you a home at cost. Habitat house payments - including taxes and insurance - will be approximately $150 - $300 per month. The house payments will be used by Habitat to build more homes for other families. This requires that you make these payments on time as stated in your mortgage contract.
If you are interested in Habitat, and if you believe you qualify for a home according to the guidelines, we encourage you to complete our application and return it to the West Plains office. If you need assistance in completing the application, our staff will be available to assist you.
Families that are not initially accepted may reapply during the next application period.
| Year 2008 Guidelines | ||
| Based Upon A Family Size Of | Least Annual Income | Most Annual Income |
| One | $13,450.00 | $22,400.00 |
| Two | $13,450.00 | $22,400.00 |
| Three | $13,450.00 | $22,400.00 |
| Four | $13,450.00 | $22,400.00 |
| Five | $14,550.00 | $24,200.00 |
| Six | $15,600.00 | $26,000.00 |
| Seven | $16,700.00 | $27,800.00 |
| Eight | $17,750.00 | $29,550.00 |
